


Cardiovascular Power Outage

by 0venm1tt



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Band Fic, Eating Disorders, F/F, Internalized Homophobia, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:34:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27833116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0venm1tt/pseuds/0venm1tt
Summary: Monochrome band au/coming of age. Expect a lot of gratuitous references to post-hardcore bands.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 7
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

Coming to this show was a mistake.

It all started yesterday afternoon. There was a Friday after-school meeting for the student council, and Weiss Schnee sat in the middle of the room. Most of her classmates were grumbling about being kept in school on Friday, but Weiss didn’t necessarily mind. It was all part of the plan, after all. Get good grades, go to college, get a master’s degree, and lead a successful career. Diligence and reservation would be the keys to her success.

The cheerful class president spoke up, a disgustingly fake smile on her face. “Alright, everybody! Let’s get started with announcements.”

Weiss zoned out for the majority of the meeting. Most of it was already discussed in the council’s group chat, anyways. And a big part of her reservations was only speaking when prompted. That way, there was no way anyone would ever find her too brazen. Just before the meeting broke off, resident goofball Yang Xiao Long spoke up. Admittedly, Weiss didn’t know the names of most of her fellow students, but everybody knew Yang.

“Hey, my band and I are doing a show tomorrow at two. It’s going to be at 357 Darlena Road, in the garage. Don’t be a stranger!” A few people nodded, and the meeting was dismissed.

Weiss headed out the door, but for better or for worse, Yang was not to be deterred. “Weiss, right?”

“Yes.” She cleared her throat as she walked down the school’s stairway. It was the first word she’d said all day.

“I don’t think we’ve properly met. Name’s Yang, put ‘er there.” A hand was extended. Weiss shook it gingerly, and looked into Yang’s eyes. They were lavender, and perhaps she was somewhat amused, given the smirk on her face. “Are you going to come to the show?”

“I don’t see why not.” Punctuality was another of Weiss’s reservations.

“Alright, I gotta get going. See you there!”

And just like that, a day later, Weiss was standing with her back against the side of Yang’s garage. A small crowd of people were chatting in the driveway, one of whom Weiss was pretty sure was also in the student council. It was all she could do to breathe in and out, in the faint hope of calming herself before the band started playing. Every now and again, a guitar chord would sound, making Weiss’s heart leap out of her chest. God, she was going to die here.

She didn’t notice that someone was standing next to her until a measured voice asked, “Trying to escape the chaos?”

Weiss turned around, and there stood another girl, about her age. She had wavy, thick, pitch-black hair that went down to her shoulders, and golden eyes shining against her tan, pointed face. Cat’s ears stood up from the top of her head, marking her as a faunus. _My word, she’s pretty_ , thought Weiss. She had to exercise great restraint to not physically shake her head. _No. Don’t think that way. You must remain normal_.

It occurred to Weiss that she needed to respond. “I-I suppose.”

The girl grinned. “Me too. Do you mind if I stay?”

“Go ahead.” Weiss kicked herself. She ought not to tempt herself like this.

“‘Kay.” She relaxed visibly, arms folded over her flannel shirt. She also wore tight jeans and sandals. “My name’s Blake, by the way.”

“I’m Weiss.” For some reason, Weiss felt compelled to learn more about her. “Are you here for the show?”

Blake chuckled. “You could say that. I’m the bassist and vocalist. But between you and me, I’m not very good at singing and playing at the same time.”

“Oh. I used to sing. Not in a band, though.”

“That’s cool. I’m taking a breather over here because I get stage fright.”

Weiss nodded. “I understand.”

A head of bushy blonde hair poked around from the side. “Blake! We’re on whenever you’re ready,” called Yang before disappearing back around.

“That’s my cue. It was nice meeting you, Weiss.”

“Y-you too, Blake.” _Damn it, stop being nervous_!

The actual show wasn’t bad at all. However, in retrospect, Weiss probably should have checked to see what music they played, as it ended up being some kind of hardcore music she wasn’t familiar with. Blake had a commanding stage presence, and the sound of her bass resounded through Weiss’s skeleton while her vocals (which ranged from soft whispers and hoarse screams) pierced her innards. It was abrasive music, to be sure, but its intensity brought an amazing feeling of catharsis to Weiss. She’d be back for another show. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad to get out every now and again, so long as diligence and reservations were still adhered to.

And she’d be damned if seeing Blake again wasn’t an exciting prospect.

* * *

Aftershow parties were always a delightful experience.

Blake Belladonna would hang out with the sisters who she played music with (under the band name Cardiovascular Power Outage), watch them play video games, and occasionally sleep over at their place. At the moment, the elder sister, Yang, and the younger sister, Ruby, were engaged in a fierce match of Super Smash Brothers. Not much of a gamer (besides Final Fantasy), Blake only watched while they argued over whether or not edgeguarding was cheating.

She had someone else on her mind, anyways. The girl by the garage, Weiss, to be specific. Blake was positive she’d seen her somewhere before, and wouldn't mind running into her again. In all honesty, she’d tried seeing the white-haired girl after the show, but to no avail. She’d already gone home. Maybe Yang knew her? Lord knew Yang seemed to know everybody. Currently, the blonde, from underneath a pile of blankets, was saying something along the lines of, “Anybody can win if they just camp the ledge for the whole match!”

“Yang, do you know Weiss?”

“She’s on the student council, but that’s about it. Kinda shy, doesn’t talk much. I’m honestly surprised she even came at all.”

“I gathered.”

“Why do you ask?”

“She seems nice, is all.”

“Uh-huh.” Yang took out her phone. “I’m in a group chat with her on Snapchat. Gimme your phone for a sec.” And within a moment, Blake had added Weiss on the app.

Within a moment, a text from Weiss appeared, simply reading, “Hello.”

“hi, how’s it going?”

“Fine. How are you?”

“not bad. thanks for coming out tonight.”

“I enjoyed it quite a bit. When’s the next one?”

“thanks. and i’ll let you know once we figure it out.”

“Thank you. If it’s not a strange question, how did you get my Snapchat?”

“probably a good question lol. yang gave it to me from a group chat.”

“Okay, that makes sense. I’m not complaining, mind you.”

“lmao thanks. who do you hang out with?”

“I don’t have any proper friends, in all honesty.”

“damn, i’m sorry. feel free to hang out with me whenever you want.”

“Wait, really?”

“yeah, you’re pretty cool.” This wasn’t a lie. Blake was, by all accounts, riddled with anxiety. Ruby and Yang were her best friends, and had been since the second grade, but they weren’t exactly the sort of people Blake would go to to discuss her more serious problems. Weiss… it was clear that Weiss also had some kind of anxiety. And if she didn’t have any friends, it wasn’t exactly a stretch to extrapolate that she didn’t have much in the way of support. Perhaps there was mutual benefit to be had if both Blake and Weiss were able to go to one another for help?

Weiss sent another message. “Thank you so much.”

Blake smiled, before typing out, “anytime, friend.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Come one, come all! Step right up, and see if you have what it takes to become the new singer of the best post-hardcore band this town’s ever seen! After school today, in the music room!” Yang’s voice boomed, loud enough to be heard across the entire cafeteria as she stood on one of the tables. Most people just snickered before returning to their food, though. The principal walked over and hauled Yang away, and it was as if nothing ever happened.

That said, Weiss still couldn’t help but wonder if trying out was in her best interest. It wasn’t necessarily adherent to her keys to success, but it didn’t have to come at the cost of them, either. Not to mention that she was already ahead of the entire class. Surely, in her senior year of high school, she could take a break. And Blake would be there, too.

Weiss typically dreaded Mondays. They represented another week of unyielding pressure taking its course, another week of inching closer to the fine line separating her from just being a nervous wreck to being in the midst of a panic attack. However, she’d been conversing over Snapchat with Blake off and on. It was a totally new feeling, to have a friend. It made Weiss feel excited to go to school and see her. There had been work partners over the years, sure. But none of them really were interested in anything other than completing whatever the assigned project was.

The bell rang, and Weiss retreated to the library. She had a double free period, and seeing as she’d already done the day’s work in class, it was time for her to do some research on post-hardcore music. She figured it would probably be best to get a feel for the genre she was attempting to sing for.

And what a genre it was! Both fast and slow, both loud and soft, and an unending range of unique styles. By the time the final bell rang, Weiss had saved a wealth of songs from a wide array of bands to her playlist. She made her way down to the music room, finding it mercifully empty, save for Blake, Yang, and a girl in a red hoodie she recognized as Cardiovascular Power Outage’s guitarist. They sat in a circle, and both Blake and the guitarist held their instruments. Yang was the first to notice Weiss, and she called out, “Tryouts?”

“Yes. I hope I’m not too early?”

“Not at all.” Weiss pulled up a chair, and Yang clapped her hands together. “Alright. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Okay.” _Deep breaths. Don’t embarrass yourself._ “What do I do?”

“Ah, just sing something.”

Weiss opened her mouth to sing, but no sound came out. This didn’t help the oncoming anxiety. She looked down at her knees. Why did she show up? To see Blake? First of all, that took her dangerously close to a certain sort of deviation, a deviation that would ostracize her from everyone she knew. Secondly, Blake had already offered to hang out any other time. Joining the band wasn’t necessarily a means to that particular end.

A hand found its way to Weiss’s shoulder, and Blake said, “Don’t worry about it. We’re not going to judge you.”

“Yeah, no pressure. I can’t sing at all, myself,” chimed Yang

“Me neither,” said the guitarist. “Ruby Rose, by the way. I’m her sister.” She gestured at Yang.

“These aren’t really auditions, at any rate. Besides, you’ll definitely do better at singing than any of us three,” continued the blonde.

Weiss looked up. All three band members were looking at her, but it appeared that Blake was right. None of their faces bore a trace of judgment. Additionally, the faunus gave her a small nod.

“Okay.” Weiss breathed in, and recited an Unwound lyric that stuck out to her, doing her best to stay on key. It had been quite some time since she last sang.

_“Suffer for your sins,_

_Pay you by the hour,_

_Follow any trend,_

_That comes your way._

_They will pick your life apart,_

_And throw away your heart,_

_Finding something new,_

_Is never hard.”_

Ruby was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. “You like Unwound, too? Yang, she’s got my vote.”

“Yeah, that was really good. Welcome to Cardiovascular Power Outage.” Indeed, Yang, too, was beaming.

* * *

“Dude, what?”

Yang’s jaw was slack as she stared across the table at Weiss. To celebrate her joining the band, they had gone to get pizza. Hence why the blonde was so shocked: Weiss’s method of eating her slice involved a knife and fork.

“Am I doing something wrong?” Weiss sounded indignant.

“No, no. Keep doing what you’re doing.” Ruby then ran up to the side of the table. “Yang! The arcade across the street! Street Fighter 2!”

“No shit? Here’s my share of the bill. Catch you two later!” She hastily put down a few dollars and bolted. Blake counted out the money and grumbled, “God damn it, Yang. Acting like we’re splitting the bill equally when all I had was fuckin’ breadsticks.”

“I can pay for yours.” It always surprised her how quiet Weiss was.

“You don’t have to. Um, don’t worry about Yang. She’s a bit exuberant, but she’s a good friend all the same.”

“I’m not worried about her.” Weiss looked down at her half-finished slice. Her white hair would have fallen around her face were it not pulled into a neat ponytail.

“Hey, I hope this isn’t too personal, but…” Blake lowered her voice. “Do you have anxiety?”

“I think so, but I’ve never been diagnosed. I get nervous about everything.”

“I know that feeling. Feel free to talk to me if there’s anything bothering you.”

“Well, I suppose there is one thing right now.”

“Go right ahead.”

Weiss’s hands reached up to her arms, and her gentle blue eyes turned to face the window. “Well, I’m a member of the Schnee family, and I know they’ve had an extensive history of racism. Of course, I abhor the thought of discrimination, but I was worried… oh, never mind.”

“You thought I’d be uncomfortable because I’m a faunus?” She nodded, still avoiding eye contact. “I mean, you’ve been incredibly kind to me so far, so I’ve got no reason to be uncomfortable.”

“That’s a relief.” Weiss laughed softly as she said this, and in turn, so did Blake. _She’s adorable,_ thought the faunus.

“You don’t have to worry about upsetting me. I promise.” Blake extended a hand across the table, and Weiss hesitantly took hold of it, only to accept the gesture and squeeze with her fingers. “I’m glad to be your bandmate.”

The extent of the way she felt about the new vocalist wasn’t a mystery to Blake. She knew herself well enough to understand that she was attracted to Weiss. Who wouldn’t be? Immaculate hair, pretty eyes, a smile capable of melting the hardest of hearts? However, acting on said feelings would be a dear mistake for the time being. Weiss didn’t need a lover right now. She needed a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is For Your Entertainment by Unwound.


	3. Chapter 3

Weiss had never been so warm.

She was with Blake, and they were underneath a blanket, both wearing light summer clothing. The rest of the setting was a mystery, a static blur without color or depth. Weiss could feel Blake’s chin on top of her head while she kept her nose buried in the faunus’s neck. All of a sudden, she started beeping.

Beeping?

Slowly, the white-haired girl opened her eyes. Her alarm clock was making a racket, indicating the beginning of another dreary school day. Typically, she was something of an early riser, but now, once her alarm was off, she rolled back over, arms spread. She was both tantalized and terrified by her dream. It was an exciting prospect, to know Blake in such a manner. But she’d surely be disowned by her father. Aside from a complete lack of regard for the faunus, Jacques Schnee was incredibly homophobic. And Weiss was ashamed to say that for the majority of her life, she’d shared similar sentiments.

Of course, she’d learned to move on in her early years of high school. But it never really left her completely. Especially when she started to see women in a romantic and sexual way, and stopped seeing men in that same light. She felt disgusted by herself for being so willing to forsake her father’s approval, and doubly so for being too weak to forge her own path in life. And Blake complicated things. She was exactly Weiss’s type, and the more she thought about her, the more scared she became. Her first ever friend, and Weiss already wanted to go past friendship? That didn’t seem right.

Luckily, actually being around Blake was a fantastic cure to these particular worries. The knowledge that the noirette was willing to help Weiss with her troubles was invaluable. Hell, it was likely the first time she could remember where she felt so free.

* * *

Today’s practice would be interesting.

Blake tapped her fingers on the body of her bass, just below the pickups. She and Weiss were going through the lyrics of the songs they’d be running through. A notebook held not only the lyrics, but the sheet music as well for every single Cardiovascular Power Outage song. Ruby and Yang were in the corner of the studio (which was, in actuality, Yang’s basement), hanging around Yang’s drum set and snickering over something. Blake murmured, “Don’t stress too much over the melody. You remember how I said I’m awful at singing and playing?” Weiss nodded. “Most of the vocals have the same melody as the bass, so keep an ear out for that and you’ll do fine.”

“Okay. I’m still quite nervous.”

Indeed, Weiss’s hands were shaking, and Blake reached out and took one. “I was nervous on my first practice, too.”

“How did you deal with it?”

“Truthfully, I messed up the first note and almost threw up. But those two morons (she gestured to the sisters) were very supportive, and that got me through. What I’m getting at is, everyone here has your back.”

“I know you do. You’re sure about Ruby and Yang?”

“Positive.” What Blake didn’t see coming was Weiss hugging her, and murmuring, “Thank you.”

“Anytime, Weiss.”

“The same goes for you, of course. Is… is anything bothering you right now?”

“Umm… come and think of it, I am getting my wisdom teeth out next month. That’s got me stressed.” Blake had hated needles for as long as she could remember, and the thought of surgery scared the daylights out of her.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Funny enough, I was born without them.”

“Lucky,” muttered Blake. She turned her head to the side, pressing her cheek to the top of Weiss’s head. Her hair was like velvet, unspeakably soft and smelling of lavender. Not that she’d ever say it out loud, of course. Not while they knew each other so little.

“Yo!” Ruby was waving to them, and Yang was smirking. _God damn it. She knows._ “You guys ready?”

Throughout practice, Blake kept an eye and ear out for Weiss. She had a lovely voice when speaking, and it carried nicely to her singing. The big surprise, though, was how proficient she was with the screamed lyrics. They sounded so natural coming from her, more so than they did with Blake. The faunus would be lying if she said that she expected Weiss to nail the screams, but she was hardly disappointed. Rather, she felt a great deal of pride.

Especially as Weiss held her head a tiny bit higher once they were done.

* * *

Today had been a fantastic day to be Weiss Schnee.

Screaming out lyrics had admittedly left her throat a tiny bit sore, but that was a tiny price to pay for pure catharsis. All of her anger and self-hatred melted away, even if just for a little while, the moment she got behind a microphone. And the look in Blake’s eyes at the end… just recalling it sent Weiss’s heart aflutter. Maybe there was a chance of the two of them working out a relationship after all.  
Weiss opened Snapchat, and began typing out, “Blake, I know this is sudden, but would you like to go on a date?”

But before she hit send, she deleted it all. A little more time getting to know her first. Instead, the message she sent read, “I should apologize for what happened before practice, I should have asked before hugging you.”

Within a couple minutes, Blake responded. “not a problem. if it helped you it was worth it.”

“It did. Thank you, my friend. I’m not sure how I would have made it through the afternoon without you.”

Immediately after sending that, Weiss felt the positive emotions brought upon by the day’s events sink deep into her gut, swallowed by a whirlpool of doubt. Why would Blake ever agree to a date? It was stupid to have even typed the first message, even if she did erase it. Weiss was nothing more than a stupid, confused, hedonistic lesbian, unbefitting of the Schnee name.

A text from Blake appeared. “you did great. and for future reference, you can hug me whenever.” There it was. Blake’s trademark reassurance. The whirlpool ebbed, the storm in Weiss’s chest clearing. Was this life now? A constant cycle of ups and downs, ever uncertain of her own standing with the woman she was infatuated with?


End file.
